Rue the Day
by Shizuku Tsukishima749
Summary: -Post-"Walk for Your Lives" AU.- The Earth has been devastated, and Zim, Dib, and GIR are the sole survivors.  One can only pray.
1. Rue the Day

_A/N: _As the summary suggests, this takes place in an alternate universe in which the slow explosion in Episode 29, "Walk for Your Lives," is much worse than the ending seconds of the episode hints. Judging even from the little destruction that is shown and how badly Zim and Dib were (theoretically _could _have been) injured, my thoughts began whirring and the possibilities seemed endless. I'm hoping to have this flow as realistically as possible, but I'm also hoping to portray more of the _human_ side of Zim that I believe _must _show itself more than the cartoon lets on, what with all of the time he's spent on Earth.

Though this is meant to be seen as a ZaDF fic, those who wish to see more may do as they please. The same is also said for any Zim/GIR shippers (if that even is a ship, I don't know); I see them as best friends, but to each his own.

_Disclaimer: _I do not own Invader Zim. Jhonen Vasquez does. Its awesomeness merely inspired this fic.

* * *

**Rue the Day**

The Time-Stasis Field explosion was much bigger than anticipated. The Earth, its population, and the resident Irken invader's operations have been irreparably devastated.

Zim and GIR have survived somehow, though the robot has been extensively damaged and repairing him will admittedly be difficult in their current situation. Still, they manage to find some small thankfulness in this first fact.

He works for weeks to fix GIR, making do with whatever he can find that might suffice for Irken technology (surprisingly, he finds most of what he needs among what the Earth-filth call 'garbage'). When he finally succeeds and GIR is in the same half-working order as always, Zim notices an oddness stemming from his zarnl blarg, the equivalent of what the dirt-monkeys would call his 'heart.'

But he cannot focus on this, however, as there is a more pressing (_revolting_) matter at hand: _Dib _has survived, too.

And in all truthfulness, Zim doesn't quite know how he feels about that.

He _hates _this worm-child, hates him, hates him, _hates _him, and there is no question of where the boy's loyalties lie!

It would be simpler just to walk away, to turn his back on the human menace who's been his enemy since the day he arrived on this planet. Leaving him to rot would be the least troublesome and most self-satisfying plan of action, allowing the Earth-child's injuries to become infected and kill him off as painfully as he's always deserved.

But considering the boy has fainted from a combination of exhaustion and his injuries, both of which are Zim's doing—really, considering this _entire mess _is Zim's fault—the little alien nearly chokes to find himself feeling..._responsible_. Something he's _never felt before_.

Every other time the invader has had someone within close proximity to blame, but this time there is no one else around but himself. _He _was the one who used the Time-Stasis Field without testing it first like the computer had suggested. _He_ was the one that refused to listen when the others tried to tell him his plan would destroy them all.

Now, because of him, this planet is dead.

And here lays the most troubling aspect for Zim.

Though it's true that global conquest has been his dream since he was a mere smeet, he is only able to allow himself to feel pride during the first several moments. _Before _he found the broken GIR, _before _he discovered his labs and means of escape leveled, _before _he was able to grasp the true extent of the damage he'd done to Earth, and _before _his mortal enemy fell into a coma at his feet.

After that, it is all a living nightmare.

And no matter how much he hates this disgusting planet, he'd never meant for anything like this to happen.

The strange feeling he gets after repairing GIR only grows as, over those same weeks, Zim lowers himself—astronomically so—to searching for hours upon hours for whatever scraps of cloth and amount or quality of water he can find in order to clean and dress the disgusting human's wounds.

The funniest part about all of it, though, is the fact that he doesn't even know his reasons for doing it. If he hates the child so much and vice versa...then _why _does the odd feeling in his zarnl blarg grow increasingly painful every time he even _ponders _letting the Dib-human fend for himself? _Why _does the boy unconsciously lean into his touch when it comes time to change the bandages? _Why_ is he _feeling _like this?

It frustrates him to no end, truly, but it is twelve-noon—speak of the Dib, wound-dressing-switch time—and he cannot stop himself. (This must be how GIR feels on a good day...)

One curious thing he's found while putting up with this arrangement is how he feels about the human body. Previously, he'd despised even the lightest of contact with human flesh, but after working with the Dib-urchin's body for weeks now it has become second nature. Another thing, then, is how fascinated he's become with the human body as a whole. Though he knows from countless hours of research the basics of human anatomy, it is even more amazing to see it all up close.

Making certain the boy's makeshift stitches are holding, he moves on to cleaning the wounds themselves as well as he possibly can (GIR's water filter and washing machine capabilities are a big help), prior to exchanging the dirty, tied-cloth bandages for clean ones.

When the dirt-human will wake is no concern of Zim's. After all, he wouldn't be lying if he said he had more important things to worry about.

And yet at this Zim finds his squeedly spooch churning like it never has before. He ignores it at first, but the churning soon becomes an icy fire not unlike that of his zarnl blarg, and the threat of stomach-sickness grows so great within the next half-second that the truth is inescapable.

Along with virtually all of the others on this pitiful planet, the Dib-human's Father and sister were killed in the blast as well. In other words, the boy is all alone now.

What's more, just before he falls asleep each night, Zim has taken to giving GIR's metal hand a squeeze, the A.I. in turn snuggling into him and falling asleep on his chest. Whenever the robot used to do this, Zim would always scold him and push him away. But things are different now, and the Irken hasn't the zarnl blarg.

The cold, hard truth?

The Earth boy and GIR are all he has left. They are his family now.

And Zim has to accept it, whether he wants to or not.

* * *

_A/N: _This is meant to be a very small prologue, as that is all I am about to produce at the moment without letting too much out and trying to watch more of the show to gauge the characters a bit more.

By the way, 'zarnl blarg' is an organ I made up, just for the sake of it, since my inference is the 'squeedly spooch' has something to do with the stomach... Also, I made up the coma thing; I don't know if someone can just faint after a horrible experience, not come out of it for a while, and have it be called a 'coma' or not, but as this is fiction...let's pretend, all right?

And as this is my first IZ story, feel free to critique and point out whatever if you readers feel something is off. (That goes for grammar, too, please. It's late where I am and I just finished my A.P. Physics homework... Yeah... XD)

Thanks for reading, as always!


	2. Tumultuous

Interestingly enough, the boy wakes from his coma exactly one day, four hours, fifty-two minutes, and twenty-four seconds later.

Dib's head swims, his stomach bubbles uncomfortably, but that is not what catches and keeps his attention from the get-go.

Rather, it is the gentle caress of a soft cloth moving over his bare chest, the tight bodily constraints all over, and the feel of inhuman eyes on him.

Summoning more strength than he thinks should be necessary for such a minuscule action, the Earthling is finally able to force his eyes open after several seconds.

Only to gasp at what he sees and then cough violently when a flash of pain meets him. Raising a hand out of battle-hardened reflex to strike the threat he knowsis there, he is met with a more-surprised-than-stern bark as the voice's owner takes his hand in a tight grip.

"None of that, Dib-human!" The child seizes again. He _knew _he wasn't seeing things! "If any more blood gets on this floor, GIR will have a Zombie Rubber Piggy picnic again…"

Dib's eyes are wide open now, and his face has lost what little color it had. His eyes dart from the exasperated alien to the curious little robot that has meandered over and then to the destruction that surrounds.

Were his hand not in his alien nemesis' atypically strong grip, he would be backing as far away from the Irken invader as possible.

"_Z-Zim_!" he croaks, voice hoarse as one eye closes tightly against the pain of his injuries. "What…_h-happened_? Where is…everyone? W-why is…your b-base…destroyed? Why am…I hurt?" He pauses, studies himself further, and then lifts his head again. "Why are _you_…" he wrenches his hand from the invader's grip, "…taking care…of _me_?"

All is silent for a long moment. Finally, Zim's eyebrow quirks. "Um…what?"

The Earth boy glares, though his enemy's mechanical servant answers for him. "Silly master! Dib asked," his voice deepens suddenly, and spittle drenches the Irken and human as he screams, "'What's goin' on?'"

The alien casts a sideways glance at the human for confirmation, and the boy shrugs. "Yeah, that."

"Ah," Zim acknowledges. "Well, that's simple, Dib-human. It—"

He stops short.

Seemingly out of the blue, the extra terrestrial's antennae droop more than Dib's ever seen, and he almost feels pity for the little Irken as his expression darkens. GIR's single antenna lowers as well, and he pats his master's shoulder in a show of compassion. Zim manages a tiny smile at this gesture and conveys his thanks to the little A.I., whose countenance brightens instantly.

At last, Zim turns his attention back to Dib, and the human is startled by how naked the invader seems all of a sudden.

"It's my fault," he admits, so softly it is hard to hear. Dib opens his mouth to speak, but Zim shakes his head, silently begging for the chance to finish. The boy feels mysteriously compelled to comply. "The Time-Stasis Field was unstable, and if you'll remember it exploded with you still inside. When I tried to counter the sluggish explosion by using your Time-Stasis essence to speed it up…" his eyes narrow here, fists clenching, "…everything went wrong..."

The quiet is deafening now, so much so that Dib _knows _he hasn't heard the whole story. Besides, the state of the alien's base and what portion of the town he is able to see gives voice to a destructive force unlike any other.

And all at once, Dib remembers. _Everything_.

Being captured, the Time-Stasis Field's malfunction, being used as the neutralizing force, the explosion, limping all the way across town to Zim's base, preserving just strength enough to insult the alien before…fainting at his enemy's feet…

That's where it ends. Up until now, he remembers nothing.

Inspecting his body in a way he never has before, he assesses the damage as best he can. Five large, probably-deep gashes rip open his chest, a stab wound pierces his stomach, three broken ribs make moving and breathing painful, his left ankle is in a splint, and his head aches shrewdly from a gaping wound.

That explosion should have been the end of him, no doubt about it.

Abruptly finding himself curious, he studies Zim and GIR.

Evidently, the left side of the android's head was blown off, mended by way of a garbage can lid and whatever else was to be found. Many more punctures and dents must have marred the servant's body at one point, but by now each has been taken care of as meticulously and caringly as possible.

Directing his attention to the small extra terrestrial now, Dib can't help staring for a good few moments. The Irken's own injuries are rather harsh—a terrible gash over his left eye, a horrid double-slice across his back, a stitched hack between his eyes, and a heavily-gouged stomach—and the Earthling can't stop the bile from rising to his throat.

All this time, the alien's been taking care of _him_, and though his mind is already whirring with possible wool-over-his-eyes-esque plots, some small voice in his heart urges Dib to…of _all_ things…_t-t-__trust Zim_!

He nearly laughs out loud at the thought, nearly tells himself he _must _be crazy to even touch upon it, but it is at this moment that he recalls one last thing: the tender, cool touch of the one with the cloth, of the one who always changes his bandages.

"But y—" Dib hardly knows his own voice when he starts up again, so frog-like and tentative is it, "—you…we…" He swallows, striving to quell the burning of his parched throat. GIR hands him a glass of water, and he downs it gratefully. He tries again. "You _hate_ me! Why would you…h-help me?"

Zim's expression does not help, for it is unblinking and veils a kind of imminent emotional doom.

The answer he receives is not what he expects in the least.

Indeed, it is far worse.

"Your Father and sister are gone," he whispers, suddenly extremely interested in his gloved fists. "Very nearly everyone else as well." He raises his head, and there is such a pitiful sheen of sorrow and guilt to his magenta eyes that Dib is left breathless. "It's all gone..."

The young boy says nothing. He turns away from his enemy as if in a daze, trembling uncontrollably as his mind involuntarily conjures images of the corpses of his family, of Ms. Bitters, of his schoolmates, of everyone he's ever and never known. Granted, they'd always hated him, and a small part of him had always resented them for that in turn, but still…he'd never wish _death _upon them!

Before he knows what's happened, Dib is lying on his stomach in a puddle of his own vomit, his eyes bleary and ears ringing as his head pounds and throbs at once. Kneeling at his side, Zim uses a few extra wet rags to quickly clean both the mess on the floor and down the boy's front before beginning to examine him with the medical instruments stored in GIR's head.

As the human's consciousness fades at a rapid rate, he catches garbled words that only come to light in his subconscious.

"History aside, dirt-worm, survival is our common goal."

* * *

_A/N: _The 'dirt-worm' at the end is more gentle, sympathetic teasing on Zim's part than his usual insult. If you didn't catch it, Dib threw up because he was so shaken up by Zim's news. Zim doesn't understand, though, and that's why he's checking Dib over.

Thanks for the support, everyone! So glad you guys are enjoying it so far!

Thanks for reading, as always!


	3. Waking Thoughts

Another night passes before Dib wakes again.

The moment he registers his conscious state, the nonexistent contents of his stomach roils again. He opts for feigning sleep. At least for a little while. Until he can sort everything out.

In sleep, he can forget the fact that his sister and Father are dead.

Gaz, psychotic, game-and-junk-food-obsessed Daddy's girl that she was, had always treated him as more of an insane nuisance than an elder brother.

Professor Membrane, too, had always regarded his son as clinically insane, was never around enough for his children to really get to know him, and constantly expressed his wishes for Dib to come into reality.

But just because his family was dysfunctional didn't mean Dib wished to be without them. On the contrary, despite the ridicule and lonely heartache, Dib _loved _them. He _still _loves them!

But none of that matters now.

They're dead, and nothing's going to change that.

In sleep, he can forget that everything he's ever known is gone, that whatever meager supplies they have will probably run out sooner than later.

He may not have liked the people of the Earth much, seeing as they had all called him crazy on more than one occasion—unfortunately, when one is the son of a world-renowned scientist, news of his paranormal exploits travels like _that!_—but he does feel sorry for them, either unaware or naïve of the oncoming threat until it was too late.

In sleep, he can forget that his _mortal enemy_ is actually _caring _for him!

It's _creepy _and _weird_ and frankly so out of character that it makes Dib's skin crawl. But at the same time it sends him reeling.

The alien could so easily have let him bleed to death, but he didn't, and though Dib remembers the conversation with Zim from last night, this only serves to make the boy feel all the more confused. The Irken had sounded genuinely guilty, his whole being practically dripping with remorse, and the incredible sympathy Dib felt at that moment is invoked again.

He doesn't want to admit it even to himself, but in spite of everything and no matter what their past entails, Dib simply can't find it in himself to pin the blame on Zim. Truly, though he'd gone about it in the wrong way, the little Irken had _tried _to stop the explosion from destroying the planet!

And now, despite the fact that in reality Zim's situation is astronomically more crippling than Dib's, the alien has been tending to _him _all this time, only looking after himself at what Dib would imagine to be GIR's kind insistence.

Sighing lightly, Dib wills his eyes to open. Call him crazy, but he swears this experience is changing them both for the better.

GIR screams intelligibly, and in the few seconds it takes for the child's vision to clear completely, both servant and master are at his side.

"You gave us quite the scare last night, Dib-monkey," Zim scolds, arms crossed as he taps his foot. "Are you feeling better?"

The boy nods and tries to sit up, but a cold hand stops him. Dib peers up curiously to find GIR, and golden-honey eyes flit to Zim. "What's he doing?"

The android speaks for himself. "Master says you need to stay down till you feel _all _better! Just like the happy chicken," he steps back and begins doing the chicken dance, "dancin' like this!" After a moment more, he stops his antics and beams at his master and friend. "Then you can dance with me like you did when master went bye-bye that time!"

The twelve-year-old smiles at GIR. He remembers that, all the fun they had together. He admits he's always liked the crazy little sidekick, and his fondness only continues to grow. He even thinks he sees Zim smiling.

"Yes, yes, what he said," Zim says, waving away the exchange with his hand. "Now then," walking toward the would-be door without bothering to don his disguise (having no need for it anymore), he swivels back for an instant, "I'm going out to scavenge for supplies!" He trains his eyes on his mechanical servant. "_GIR_!"

The little robot's outer circuitry glows red, his eyes narrow, and he salutes his commanding officer. "Yes, my master?"

"Watch the Dib-human! Make sure he doesn't injure himself further! That would only _add_ to our repulsively mountainous problems!"

Somewhere in all of that Dib catches and decodes the underlying message: it's Zim's crazy way of showing he cares. The human shrugs. He'll take what he can get for now; in any case, it's not like Zim has much practice in the learned art of conveying affection. Besides, it's not like he himself was entirely civil last night, so he supposes it's only fair…

GIR fades to his usual cheery light-blue, and he grins crazily. "_Okay_!"

Flopping onto the couch armrest closest to Dib's head, the A.I. leans in to train his eyes on Dib.

The Earth boy, however, has stopped paying attention.

Zim's left by now, but the smirk on the child's face stands. This ordeal really is bringing them closer together than their rivalry ever has or could. Now that Zim is showing his true emotions more openly, is acting more like a _human _than the Irken himself probably comprehends, the Earthling and invader might truly have a shot at a wonderful friendship.

The idea will take some getting used to—after all, they've been at opposite ends of the spectrum for nearly two years now—but he's already starting to like the new Zim.

He can't believe he's saying this, has never thought he _would _say this, but…

Perhaps Zim was right. Perhaps they aren't so different after all.

* * *

_A/N: _Regarding Dib's age, allow me to present my theory. The series database explicitly states he's eleven years old. However, taking into consideration the six months it took Zim to get to Earth and (in my mind) assuming Dib was ten-and-one-half when he first heard the transmission from the Massive, as well as the cutscene from "Invasion of the Idiot Dog Brain," in which a cutscene says, "One Year Later"...I'm going to say he's twelve for the sake of this story...perhaps twelve-and-one-half.

In future chapters, I will be inserting events, etc., from the canceled and lost episodes, as well as some interviews and a few of the series' would-have-beens. (By the way, when GIR mentions dancing with Dib, he's referring to the ending of "The Frycook What Came from All That Space"...which I just now realize comes way after this episode... XD My bad. Let's just pretend, shall we?)

I have an A.P. Physics test Friday, but I should be fine enough to churn out another chapter tomorrow!

Thanks so much for reading and all of the awesome support, as always!


	4. On the Prowl

While he's out, Zim contemplates.

Those two should be fine by themselves. Dib will probably just sleep, which will help his injuries heal quicker, and whether GIR knows it or not he's quite capable of following orders when he wants to be.

The Irken concentrates on the surrounding area now, on the rubble and the corpses and the _utter dilapidation_ that make up this new Earth. The churning in his squeedly spooch starts up again almost instantly, getting worse and worse as he ventures farther into the belly of the beast he created.

Every time he goes outside for supplies he feels this. Had there been a choice, he'd have sent GIR out here, but then again the little robot's attention span would never survive without Zim. And _someone _needs to stay with the dirt-worm, just in case he takes a turn for the worse.

Besides, the sinking feeling is far less intense than it was the first time. So maybe this is a warped version of what the humans call 'therapy.' Maybe, in the long run, this will help him.

But for now, in the short term, he's lucky there's no one around to see his discomfort.

Not that he cares much about his pride anymore. After all that's happened, there's no need for it. He has no one to impress, no one to frighten, no one to…to _destroy _now. His mission, while by accident, has been a success (though again, instead of pride his zarnl blarg contracts with regret).

The only ones he has now are the two he's never had to pretend for. And in this the invader allows a swirl of affection to form in his breast. He's grateful to them for letting him be himself.

He halts abruptly in the middle of the road. Without realizing, he's been walking in a well-known direction this entire time.

Directly in front of him is what remains of Dib's home. In another show of Professor Membrane's ingenuity, the house had been reinforced by a supposedly-indestructible material, weapons defenses, and force-shields of the human-known strongest type.

But apparently none of it stood much of a chance against the explosion.

Granted, the grand majority of the house has made it through, but the front wall and windows have been scorched-dented and broken, respectively. The weapons have been irreparably gutted, and the rest is left to be seen.

The little Irken has no trouble getting inside (the door actually falls off its all-weather-enhanced hinges at the lightest wiggle of the handle). He's only been in here a few times, and though there might not be anything edible in here by Irken standards, this will likely be his best bet for something the Dib can consume. Plus, the boy's Father's labs might have something at least moderately useful.

Creeping farther inside, he is surprised and rather impressed to find that very little of the house besides that side facing the blast has been damaged.

Entering the kitchen, he opens the refrigerator and is relieved to find it a little more than half-stocked; come to think of it, he remembers Dib mumbling something in his sleep about his Father hardly having the time to sleep, much less grocery shop.

Summoning the robotic arm from the depths of his PAK, he reaches in, grabs the food, and hands it to the mechanical limb to stow away. With all of the electricity down for this long, he wonders how it's not rotten already, but considers the Dib-human's Father probably planned ahead once again.

He takes all of it. They'll definitely need it, even if he himself won't be able to eat most of it. Its primary function will be to help Dib get his strength back anyway.

Moving on to the freezer, he sees that the ice box is stacked high. The robotic arm grabs several ice cubes at a time and dumps them into the PAK, in a separate, frozen storage compartment. The water will do them nicely, indeed.

When he's finished there he raids the cupboards. Another success, and with most of this being edible! This goes down the PAK-hatch, too.

Working his way down the hall, he stops when he gets to the Membrane children's opposite bedrooms. He feels his curiosity brewing, urging him to take even a quick peek into the rooms of his former enemies.

It's an invasion of privacy, though, and in the case of the Dib-sister, especially… Not only would it be like he was dancing upon her grave, but—he shudders—knowing her, she'd haunt him for the rest of his days.

He turns away from her door, but in doing so stands front-and-center before Dib's. He doesn't think the boy will mind, not really, and he'd probably describe it all in detail at some reminiscent point or another anyhow.

Turning the doorknob, he steps into the twelve-year-old's room without a sound. Posters of paranormal phenomena cover the wall; books, action figures, files, empty Spell Drives, and other knickknacks cover every available space; and although the computer is unresponsive like everything electronic back at the base Zim is sure it would show the Swollen Eyeball Network's website.

This room pulses with a stark loneliness that pierces Zim's soul.

Just as he would have expected from the world-shunned outcast.

The poor child…

He takes his leave of the room as hastily as possible. Far too depressing in there. At any rate, he doesn't think he would have found anything very worthwhile amongst that hoard of collectors' items and case studies.

The last room in the house with even the smallest bit of worth lies at the end of the hallway: Professor Membrane's lab. While he used to feel above using such inferior Earth technology, now that he has no alternatives he doesn't mind anymore. This equipment will do just fine.

Introducing himself fully to the rather large circular room, he doesn't truly know what he's looking for. Something to help them, yes, but...what exactly that would be, he really doesn't know.

As he's looking around, the invader notices something strange about the angle of the scientist's chemical station. When he and Dib had been working together to kill the Bologna Virus that time, he'd been too stressed to notice before. But now that he is in no hurry, he finds a peculiar slant to it that he swears wasn't there any of the times he'd been there.

Bending down, he follows the slant to its origin and is nonplussed to find a white-as-the-floor, giant envelope under the leg. Using his robotic arm to help him, he lifts the thick, heavy desk leg and swipes the envelope from underneath.

Reading the faded outer-print as "To My Children," Zim cannot help the small pang he feels in his zarnl blarg. On occasion he finds himself wondering what having parents would be like, and this happens to be one of those moments.

And it is in this daze that he opens the envelope and examines the contents within.

When he finishes, his mind snaps back to reality.

The flurry of propositions, grants, data-notes, and personal letter come flooding back.

All falls to the floor as Zim crashes to his knees.

This _can't _be happening…!

* * *

_A/N: _The mystery of Zim's finding will be explained next chapter, so no worries there!

Sorry I didn't get this up sooner! I had an A.P. Physics test to study for on Thursday, then yesterday I went to an impromptu dance, and today I was working on my A.P. U.S. History flashcards all day (I _hate _those stupid things!)... XP

And _yes_, I know Zim was able to feel the water vapor from the refrigerator, etc., and not get burned, but as Jhonen Vasquez says in the commentary of episodes after "The Wettening" in regards to continuity, "'He's covered completely in paste all the time.'" XD So there you have it.

If I forgot anything else...guess I'll come back and fix it! XD

Thanks so much for reading!


	5. Threshold

Dib is awoken by a loud _bang! _a short time later. Immediately jerking upright in his fright, his wounds convey their resentment at the action, and he flops back down with a sharp hiss. Looking down toward his feet where GIR was when he fell asleep, he searches the room for the A.I. with his eyes. He'd better not have wrecked anything—!

Zim has returned—that would explain GIR's excited shriek—standing where the door is supposed to be. The boy is about to greet him and inquire after his task, but falls silent when he notices the Irken's curiously stony, yet revealingly sad expression.

The Irken marches toward what's left of the kitchen. Dib listens as he stores his findings in the refrigerator and drawers.

But this is all a ruse. It _has_ to be! He _knows _it is! It's too _quiet_, too _not-Zim_, and Dib visibly starts to worry. What in the entire universe would affect him so?

He has no more time to think, however, as the small invader exits the kitchen and marches toward him with purpose. Zim's expression hasn't changed, and when he sits down very softly on the couch beside Dib and says nothing for a long while, simply staring at the opposite wall with a troubled countenance, the boy really begins to panic.

Reaching forward, he touches Zim's arm. Very slowly, the Irken turns to him, and Dib's golden-caramel eyes flood with concern.

"Are you okay?" he asks quietly.

His only answer is for one of the invader's hands to remove his and reach back toward his PAK. A mechanical appendage comes out of it after a moment and hands Zim a large, important-looking envelope.

He takes it and holds it in his hands for a while, gripping it tightly yet understanding its contents' delicateness, before resting it gently on the Dib-human's stomach. The boy gives him a strange look, but picks it up. His eyes widen as he reads the salutation on the outside, and he opens it quickly.

He scans the notes, the proposals, the agreements, and all of the rest in a precise, practiced manner, but goes ever-so slowly over the letter from his Father.

Despite the fact that it's been less than fifteen minutes, to Zim it feels like an eternity has passed when Dib finally lifts his head and lets the hand holding the letter drop limply.

His mouth opens and closes several times before he gathers enough of his voice to speak. "W-where did you find this?" he asks quietly, his ashen face and dulled eyes causing both Zim's squeedly spooch and zarnl blarg to twist.

The alien deems it best to tread lightly. "The same establishment where I found the food: your house. Specifically, under one of the legs of the chemical station. It was leaning a little, and curiosity got the better of me…" He trails and begins to fidgets with his hands. He doesn't want to pry any further than he already has, but… "He never told you…did he? Your F—the Professor?"

Dib swallows thickly and clenches a fist. "No, Zim," he answers with a heavy sigh, voice trembling slightly. "He didn't." Then, abruptly, he laughs bitterly. "You know, I should've figured it out. Gaz and I never knew anything about our birth Mom other than that she'd died a long time ago and that Gaz looked a little like her. Dad was never around long enough for us to ask, and something about it just seemed out of place anyway. Like we had a mental block or something…"

"Perhaps there was," Zim volunteers. "Think about it: your Father would only have wanted you to know if anything ever happened to him, and I think what this envelope contained," he gestures to the papers littering Dib's lap, "was his form of a last wish."

The boy says nothing, only stares at his hands as he curls into himself. After a moment, though, he looks up at Zim with startlingly bright eyes and whispers, voice choked, "Do you think Gaz _could _have survived? I mean, she's the same as me, and I survived, right?"

Zim thinks for several seconds before hanging his head. "I don't think that's possible. One side-effect of the Time-Stasis Field is that it preserves whatever comes into contact with it from any harm, even its own blasts. Your sister didn't have any protection whatsoever, and with her close proximity…"

He lets the rest hang. The end result is obvious.

Dib nods dejectedly. Gaz may have hated him, but she was _still _his little sister. She was still _his _to protect, even if he himself was often too afraid to go near her. He still would rather have had her here. Especially now, with what he's found (though he doubts she'd be surprised; knowing her, she'd think it's awesome).

A gloved hand comes to his shoulder, and the paranormal investigator-aspirer peers up at the stern face of his former rival.

"I won't let you waste away, Dib-beast," he vows quietly, eyes narrowed as his visage grows more and more determined. "You will not wallow in your self-pity." His face softens a moment later, and he reaches over to take Dib's hand with his free one. "You are much too strong for that. I'm certain that this discovery is meant to build you up, not break you down. The darkness can only win if you let it," he gives Dib's hand a firm squeeze, "and believe me when I say that I _refuse _to let it be so." His voice quiets, the intensity surfacing all the more. "I need your help now."

The child manages a small smile and even offers a weak squeeze.

"We're in this together, you rotten space-scum," he whispers. "Thanks, Zim."

The alien smiles wordlessly before standing, reaching forward to brush black strands of hair from the boy's sweaty forehead. Peeling back the long rag Dib's using as a blanket, Zim calls for GIR, who face-plants on the floor at his side.

"Let's see about those bandages, hmm?"

* * *

_A/N: _I realize this chapter's short, and I apologize. However, I'm already late for bed, and I am going to be in trouble... XD Besides, it's a school night (Happy Valentine's Day!), and I thought this would be an all right place to pause anyway!

Don't worry! This issue and the 'Earth being destroyed' will not be disregarded so easily! We will delve deeper into both of these in later chapters!

Dib and Gaz being genetic experiments was actually a plan for the show before it was canceled. I thought it'd be a rather good plot twist for these two to find out _now_, after everything.

Also, the 'insult' at the end on both of their parts was another affection tag. The 'Time-Stasis Field protecting Dib' thing is a theory of mine made up specifically for this fic; it has no grounds in the episode or technology whatsoever. (And _yes_, Gaz is dead. She's not coming back...sadly. T.T

Thanks so much for reading, as always!


	6. In the Dead of Night

That night, the sleeping arrangements are the same as always. Dib on the couch and Zim and GIR curled up on the floor.

It takes Dib a while to fall asleep, never mind how emotionally exhausted he is. Everything that's happened lately is swirling around in his head, and he can't imagine that sleeping will get him anywhere in this harried mental state.

He's always felt different, always _been _different, from the others of his world. Gaz, his apparent lab-double, with no friends to call her own, was the same.

And while _she'd_ managed to blend in with the rest of society, he'd fallen short.

He'd never been suited for the norm, for what was accepted and consumed so avidly by those who were categorized as 'normal.'

Since he could read and comprehend extensively at five months old, he devoured every scrap of information he could. And considering his already exotic idiosyncrasies, it was not at all surprising that his first introduction to television was "Mysterious Mysteries," that his first book was Crop Circles: Is There Alien Life among Us?

His Father and Gaz, for their parts, never even _tried _to understand his obsession, instead passing it off as 'insane' and 'stupid,' respectively. But he'd only delved deeper and persisted all his life, and though that meant constant ridicule and loneliness, he conditioned himself to be all right with that.

If no one else respected his hobbies and dreams, who needed them? He would be fine by himself. He always had been (although there was that whole 'talking to himself' bit…yeah…).

But now something comes to his mind that he's never considered before.

Maybe _this_ was his destiny all along. Not necessarily living to see the end of the human race (and playing an inadvertent part in it), per se, but being the Earth's sole protector against Zim.

But in this there is something, too. Glancing down at his wrist with suddenly-bleary eyes, he rests his gaze on his compact-transmitter. He's only just remembered…

He feels beyond exhausted all of a sudden, and as he lies back down he is half-asleep already. Curling up on his side, he smiles a little to see GIR on top of Zim, hugging him even in sleep. The Irken himself keeps an unconsciously tight hold on the SIR unit's hand. They're a strange pair, indeed, but a good one.

Burrowing into the nest of his arms, he calms his mind.

He'll leave the big issues for another day.

Right now, sleep sounds swell.

* * *

What he least expects in all of this is to be woken up by nightmares.

It is the middle of the night the first time. Then, hours later, it is mere hours before morning. Now, via the blown-apart wall, the first rays of sunshine come into the room..

Jolted from the land of his guilt-and-horror-spurred night terrors, his eyes snap open. He screams bloody murder, very nearly rolling off the couch and on top of his companions before he catches himself. Breathing heavily and succeeding in fogging up his glasses, he doesn't even care that he's sweating like he's been in a sauna the last several hours as he pulls his knees to his chest and lets the tears stream.

These _nightmares_…! Even when he was in that coma for weeks on end they were never this scarring! These are unforgiving, terrible images that play relentlessly in his mind's eye. The bile rises fiercely in his throat as said recollections start again unbidden.

He sees his Father and Gaz doing what they love, going about their days as normal. Then, with a brilliant wave of green light that can only be the explosion, they are on the ground, bleeding and broken and crumbling to ash.

He sees who he can only guess is their Mother having a hair sample taken, in her last moments talking with her husband as he holds her to his chest.

His Father monitors two growth-nutrient tubes, one baby of each gender floating inside each.

The scene shifts again, the tubes are opened, and the children-_he and Gaz_-take their first breaths.

He can't _stand _to see these images (these being the mildest of the lot), and yet they come and crowd and _hurt _nonetheless!

It wouldn't nearly as bad if he could make them _stop_, but he doesn't know _how_ and he _can't_ and he doesn't know what to _do_!

So he wakes and screams and cries in his agony. This torture is the only effective coping mechanism left, and though some small part of him feels his heart lightening in this, it is so minuscule a fraction that it only wriggles every other waking moment.

He is still nowhere near calm when another presence makes itself known to him.

He gasps sharply and starts, only calming when the familiar warmth blooms on his back and alien eyes feel him out.

"Dib...?" Zim croaks tentatively, the hand on the human's back pressing a little harder to garner the boy's full attention. But the twelve-year-old can't bear to look at him; instead, he takes Zim's hand from his back and squeezes it for dear life, resting his forehead on it.

It is a small gesture, to be sure, but there is such a desperate need for comfort in it that the extraterrestrial cannot bring himself to turn from him. Not now.

Sinking to sit next to Dib on the couch, very slowly so as not to frighten the unstable child, he openly flinches when the Earthling reels back so rapidly that he falls backward onto the hard floor. Rushing to help him, the Irken is thrown and understandably hurt when the human slaps his hand away and peers up at him with an insane-petrified expression, an even more crazed gleam in his eyes.

"Th-this is all…_your _fault! It's _y-__your fault_!" Dib stutters, and the Irken seizes at the pain that strikes at these words. "My—Gaz! Dad! E-experiments!" he sputters, talking more to himself now than to the invader. "G-gone! All…all _gone_!" He recoils with every habitual glimpse Zim's way, and there is nothing to ward off his hysteria as all falls to ruin. Zim can't help but thank his Tallest that GIR is a sound sleeper in his Stand-By mode; his track record known, he'd only make things worse. "Time…Stasis…Field! All this…_that_! _Gone_!" He snarls ferociously now, though what follows it is naught but whine of the pitiful child inside. "_Your fault, Zim_!"

The young one is losing himself, the alien in question realizes. Things have grown to be too much for him to handle on his own.

And how dearly Zim wishes to come to his aid, wishes to save his former enemy from the horrors he's facing, but he has never felt a helplessness like this before. He is without direction, without assistance, without experience, _without power_ without _anything_ that might be of use to him in this situation...a feeling he hates more than anything.

So he does the only thing he can think of.

He lunges forward and takes the child in his arms, squeezing as tightly as he dares and fortifying just slightly when the out-of-control Dib strives like a madman to shake him off.

But Zim refuses to be beaten so easily. This is merely a broken _shell _of the boy he knows, of the one he has come to call 'friend' in this their darkest hour, and he will do whatever it takes to get the _true _Dib back.

The twelve-year-old shrieks as if he's being burned from the inside out, claws and kicks Zim wherever he can reach, all the while screaming those same incoherent slurs. The Irken does not release his hold all through, passing off all pain and emotional slights as things to be dealt with later.

Right now, rescuing Dib from this deadly vice is all that matters. Selfishness has no place here.

Leaning forward, he reinforces his grip on the younger male and leans down to whisper severely in his ear, "You remember my promise, don't you, Dib-beast? Do you not recall? I swore to my Tallest that I would _never _leave you alone, that we would find a way to survive this together, no matter what!" He pauses momentarily, magenta eyes closing as tears invade. He exhales shakily, his voice soft and sensitive to the boy's plight. "Am I not keeping that promise now? Have I let you fall apart without bringing me down as well? You _know _me, Dib, as I do you." He loosens his hold just enough to swivel around to look the boy square in the eyes. "I am _here_, my friend. And here I will remain, for as long as I am needed."

This is it, then.

The moment of truth.

A small creaking noise, and Dib shatters.

Zim falling with him as his knees give out, the traumatized child throws his arms around the neck of the only friend he's ever had. Hugging Zim desperately, he shakes and sobs uncontrollably as he buries his face in the alien's shoulder.

For his part, the astonished Irken hesitates but a moment prior to fiercely returning the embrace, the piece of his zarnl blarg that beats for the poor boy pumping. Whether Dib truly is back or not (though he somehow knows the answer rests with the former), he has a duty to him. And an Irken _never_ breaks a promise.

After many minutes, indeed, Dib soothes to mere sniffles, hiccups, and burning whispers of apology.

But Zim doesn't blame him. Night terrors are fiendish things (as he's witnessed in a milder form with the Dib already, during the coma), and no one can be patronized for his actions while under their knife-to-throat influence.

He can only hold the twelve-year-old tighter and smile at the warmth radiating from him, settling into the crook of the human's neck. If hugs always feel this nice, he understands now why the Earthlings so insisted on it.

Given time, Dib will be fine.

Zim will make sure of it.

* * *

_A/N: _This is the longest so far, and I hope it meets your standards!

Even though the siblings and close friends in my stories do hug, share kisses on the cheek, and cuddle occasionally, that does not mean this is slash. Those who wish to do so may see it that way, but just to clarify with the rest of you. XD

Thanks so much for reading, as always!


	7. Truth Be Told

_A/N: **Notifications:**_

_Portion in Italics: _Recording_ **  
**_

* * *

The next morning dawns to find Dib back on the couch, though this time Zim is lying beside him. In a fashion unlike that of GIR (who is happily dozing at their feet), the little child has cuddled close to Zim and set up camp on his chest.

Zim, the first awake, notices this. And as per usual nowadays, instead of shoving Dib roughly away as he is wont to do, he moves to smooth the boy's unruly hair with a feather-light caress.

It is a strange thing, especially for one so afraid of feeling any trace of affection as he once was, but this child means more and more to him every day.

At first the silence surrounding them is so great that he has only his companions' breathing to fill the void. But after another few moments a strange, quiet beeping sound causes his antennae to flick upward.

Narrowing it down as coming from the youngest of them, he examines the twelve-year-old discreetly, checking for explosive devices or anything out of the ordinary (after all, some of GIR's more mischievous pranks aren't thought through…he knows from past experience…). Finding nothing but a small piece of equipment strapped to Dib's wrist, something like what the humans would have called a 'watch,' Zim extracts some instruments from his PAK.

The one in question awakens about a minute later, squinting in the sunlight pooling in from outside the fallen wall. The hushed chuckle of Zim is known at once as the alien affectionately pushes GIR out of the way of his work…which apparently is—Dib gasps as his eyes land on the object—_his compact-transmitter_!

Yanking his arm from Zim's grasp and far out of reach of his tools, the young human covers the tiny device with one hand and demands, "What are you doing?"

The Irken quirks an eyebrow, his antennae following. "Your wrist-thingy was emitting an increasingly bothersome noise, so I was attempting to dismantle it to fix the problem. But I've just realized what this is: a miniature transmission device!" His face is bright with excitement, his smile huge as his eyes shine. He takes the boy's shoulders gently in his hands. "Do you know what this _means_?" He doesn't give the child time to answer as he continues on his galvanized spiel. "The Tallest _love _me! They must be lost without me! Surely we can use this to get in contact with them!"

But he stops his words abruptly as he takes in Dib's reaction.

The boy has begun shaking uncontrollably, eyes wide and face almost devoid of all color as he shakes his head in vehement denial.

"_No, no, no_! This is…_so wrong_!" he cries, fists pressed to his shut-and-teary eyes, and Zim truly fears a repeat of last night. But all crazed scenarios leave his mind as the child merely sighs and hangs his head. "I—" his whispered timbre wavers vulnerably, and when he looks up at his former nemesis there is such a plea for his only friend to still love him after this that Zim feels zarnl blarg-sick, "—I never wanted you to know…"

Slowly, painfully, Dib removes his trembling arm from behind his back and strokes his thumb across the machine's screen. Creeping closer, Zim grimly scrutinizes the device, but still can find nothing extraordinary about it.

Peering back up at the human youngling's stricken face, he says softly, "You know, you don't have to tell me. If it pains you that much…it's not mine to know."

But the adolescent shakes his head vehemently and takes Zim's hand in his. Squeezing once and bestowing upon the alien the most intense gaze he ever has, he asserts, "No. If anyone has the right to know the truth," he exhales and inhales shakily, "it's you."

Looking down at the inanimate object pensively, there is a moment of calm in contemplating whether the device will work at all. It was almost as badly damaged in the explosion as its creator—the screen is cracked, the strap is severed but for a stubborn thread, and most of the buttons are either missing or more than likely malfunctioning.

But if it works, they'll have all they need. (Though half of him prays upon prays it won't.)

Pressing a distinct series of buttons—ironically, these are the five that are present and fully functional—Dib turns his wrist Zim's way as the archived feed comes through.

_The Almighty Tallest stand on their mobile platform, blatantly ignoring their other work for the day to laugh raucously at what just transpired._

"_And—and do you r-remem-ember that—that time w-when Z-Z-Zim called us from the basement of a s-soup k-kitchen and told us th-that the Earthlings were actually machines fueled by their own liquid waste?" Tallest Purple chirps, rolling on the floor laughing beside his co-ruler._

"_O-Of c-course I d-do!" Tallest Red replies, his words barely understood. "One o-of the st-stupidest things Z-Zim's ever—ever d-done!"_

_They both give in to another long bout of laughter._

"_H-he's in e-exile, but it's l-like he ne-never l-left!"_

"_H-he's a disg-race! The b-best Defect-tive ever!"_

"_A-are we ever g-gonna tell h-him th-the t-t-truth?" Purple questions almost sarcastically, and it is the inquiry itself rather than the alien in question that sends them on their way again._

"_N-no way! We mi-might hate him, b-but…this is t-too much f-f-fun!" Red shoots down instantly, pointing to their big screen where a pre-recorded picture of Zim wearing a hairnet can be seen._

The feed goes out and 'Transmission Ended' flashes across the screen, and feed goes blank.

A deadly quiet fills the house now.

Dib drops his arm lifelessly and focuses solely on Zim. Even GIR had quieted in the face of something he assessed as important involving his master.

Zim is staring at nothing, open-mouthed with eyes wide.

"Zim?" Dib tries softly, reaching out to touch the alien's arm. "You okay?"

But his friend doesn't answer. Truly, he's not sure there's anything _to _say. Dib just prays this isn't the biggest mistake ever made.

Zim's antennae wilt ever more with each passing moment, and his eyes gloss-over. Abruptly, he jumps forward with a choked cry and rips the device from Dib's wrist before rushing to the missing wall and throwing it as far as he can into the abyss of what's left of their world. The _clack! _and skid across the pavement are clearly heard, but that is ignored in light of the crumbling 'Defect.'

For a long moment, there is a silence so deafening Dib swears he can hear Zim's zarnl blarg breaking.

"Do you see now?" Dib inquires sensitively, his tone as heartfelt as ever. "I'm sorry," he pleads, tears dripping from his eyes before he even realizes he's crying, "I'm so, _so _sorry, but this was the only way you'd believe me…"

But Zim merely shakes his head back and forth, back and forth, eyes shut and fists clenched in an effort to ward off these truth-biting words.

"Filthy human!" He whipped around and pointed an accusing finger at Dib, while at the same time tears course down his face. "You _lie_! The Tallest would _never_—! They—they _respect _me! I-I-I kn-know it!"

He continues on in this tangent for a long time, eventually crashing to his knees and rocking back and forth, still blubbering as he mutters to himself and occasionally screams incoherently.

For his part, Dib can't even manage to put into words how sad this really is. The poor Irken has hit hysterical in his denial, in his _blind naïveté_. He _hates _to see Zim like this.

He sighs heavily.

Having GIR assist him, the twelve-year-old carefully makes his way over to his former enemy's side, kneeling in front of the invader while a teary GIR rubs his beloved master's back soothingly.

"Zim, listen to me! You have to snap out of it! I _know _it hurts…" his voice quavers, and he almost chokes on the lump in his throat, "…just as much as it hurts GIR and I to see you like this! You know everything is true now—you've seen it with your own two eyes—but that doesn't mean this has to destroy you!" Two tender fingers tilt Zim's downcast face upward, golden eyes meeting magenta. "What you told me last night goes both ways: _you _are stronger than this, too! You're stronger than _anything_, I've witnessed it!" His eyes narrow in all seriousness, and his voice drops to convey severity. "Lean on me like I did you; trust in me like I did you; and know that I will never desert you." He smiles gently and cuffs Zim lightly on the cheek with all the affection in the world. He intertwines Zim's fingers with his own and clenches it for all his former enemy is worth. "It'll be all right, Zim. We'll get through this together."

Closing his eyes tightly as further tears threaten to spill, Zim bites his lip to keep his sobs at bay. He nods and concedes in the most vulnerable whisper Dib's ever heard from him, "Okay."

The child swears his heart has never felt so light. Enfolding the Irken in his arms, he squeezes all of the strength he can spare to empower Zim. The only thing he wants now is for his friend-once-enemy to be all right again.

Zim swears he's never been more grateful for the Earthling's survival. In his emotional breakdown, it takes only milliseconds for Zim to reciprocate the boy's actions in kind. The only thing he wants now is for his friend-once-enemy to save him.

Given time, Zim will be all right.

Dib will make sure of it.

* * *

_A/N: _This should be the end of it as far as emotional messiness goes. There might be a little here and there, but that's about it.

Only a few more chapters to go! I've already got an ending plot device in mind!

Thanks so much for reading!


	8. All Good Things

When the Sun comes up the next morning, it is not as peaceful as the three grounded companions would like.

The familiar hum of an Irken ship rouses Zim instantly. His antennae twitch, his squeedly spooch convulses, and his zarnl blarg pumps as he sees the massive vessel taking advantage of the missing wall.

Instantly alert, he moves to wake Dib, but unexpectedly the red-painted Spittle Runner fires its laser. Whizzing past Zim, it grazes his charge's arm instead, effectively waking Dib as he cries out at the burning pain.

Shaking off his shock and horror after an instant, a vengeance-bent Zim races forward and orders, "_GIR_! Bring it down!"

The little A.I. complies with all haste, performing the feat effortlessly. Zim smirks grimly and pats him on the head affectionately; he _knew _GIR could do it! A warm hand squeezes Zim's shoulder, and the alien needn't look to know its owner.

"If you come as a friend," Zim shouts at the ship's operator, "then you have nothing to fear from us!" One swift glance at the wound on Dib's upper arm (which, confessedly, isn't as bad as it could be, but any amount of blood lost from the boy is more than Zim can stand), and Zim's inner fury increases one hundred fold. Taking Dib's hand in his own, he steps in front of the child protectively. "But I warn you now," Zim growls dangerously, "any further harm to my friends, and you will _never_ make it back to Irk."

A tense silence, and the ship lands. GIR sidles up to flank Zim.

The cockpit opens upward. Zim's grip on Dib's hand tightens.

And out jump two.

"I-Invader Skoodge?" Zim stutters, eyes wide. "But—but I thought you were killed back on Hobo 13? However did you survive?"

The shortest invader just smiles cheerily. "It's a funny story, actually. See—"

"Enough talk!" the purple-eyed Irken female beside Skoodge interrupts menacingly, fixing her narrowed eyes on Zim. "I want what I came here for!"

"But Miss Tak, the Earth is already—!" Skoodge tries, though to no avail as she shoves him aside.

Marching toward the human, the insane SIR unit, and the Defective Irken, she grinds out, "Don't you have _any _recollection of my voice, you rotten piece of scum?" she demands of Zim. "Don't you recall a certain snack incident during the Invader Examination that occurred some fifty Earth years ago, resulting in a power outage that plunged over half of Devastis into darkness?" She edges close enough now that, ensuring that Dib stays shielded behind him, Zim has no other choice but to back up toward the wall. She clenches her fists at the glimmer of incomprehension in Zim's eyes. "Don't you remember_ anything _of the way you _ruined _my chances of becoming an Invader?"

The small Irken frowns deeply, his face scrunched up in thought. All at once his antennae spring upward, his eyes go wide, and he gasps loudly.

"I-I remember now!" he affirms quietly. He looks up at Tak and, with more genuine emotion than she's ever heard from an Irken, he says ever-so softly, "I am…so very sorry, Tak, from the bottom of my zarnl blarg. I…I never knew…" He swallows. "P-perhaps I could—"

She doesn't let him finish. "_You_? _You _are the most hated Irken on our entire planet! When I asked the Tallest where you might be found, it took them _over_ _a_ _month_ to stop laughing long enough for them to tell me!" She laughs bitterly. "Having you put in a good word for me would be like resigning my death warrant. No, thanks."

A gloved hand comes to rest on her shoulder. Growling, Tak slaps it away and turns to the one responsible. "Invader Skoodge, _how _many times have I told you _not _to touch me?"

The pudgy invader presses on nonetheless. "But Miss Tak…_look _at them!" He gestures to the three battle-scarred individuals (though admittedly Zim no longer has much to show for it, thanks to his accelerated Irken healing rate). "They've already been through so much! Wouldn't it be in everyone's best interest to forget your revenge and give forgiveness a whirl instead?"

"I like the sound of that plan! Can we go with that plan?" Dib pipes up from behind Zim, and his former nemesis can only silently agree.

It would seem, however, that the female is not ready to give up just yet.

Lunging at Zim, the male pushes Dib well out of harm's way before being tackled to the ground himself. Wrestling around on the floor for several minutes, the three spectators' worry only peaks when Tak pulls a laser gun from her PAK.

"_Zim_!" Dib yells, and before he knows it he's jumped on top of Tak in an effort to pry her off of his friend. "Let him _go_!"

But the Irken is much stronger than she appears, and with one fell swoop she backhands the child and sends him flying into what's left of the television.

"_Dib_!" Zim cries, and while he's relieved to see that his friend is not suffering a repeat of his horrible concussion, the fire in his eyes and zarnl blarg only burns brighter. "_I warned you_!"

The fighting turns even more savage now. Covered in each other's blood and sporting missing teeth and numerous broken bones, the two battle it out for dominance. Tak fires the laser repeatedly, though her anger and the current tussling situation throw her off every time.

Meanwhile, GIR and Skoodge steady Dib as he stands on wobbly legs. GIR sniffles, mechanical hands covering his eyes. "Master's in trouble!"

Dib strokes his head absently, his anxious golden-caramel eyes glued to the struggling pair across the room. "We have to stop them somehow! Skoodge, do you have anything?"

The stout invader zeroes in on Tak's PAK. "I've got it!" he cries, then pulls the other two in for a group huddle.

Less than a minute later, the three are in position, GIR and Dib on one side of the two Irkens and Skoodge on the other. The moment Tak has Zim pinned down, Skoodge gives the signal.

Dib jumps on GIR's back, and the little robot's jet-boosters propel the two across the room. When they're milliseconds away from hovering over Tak, Dib calls, "_Now_!" GIR screams in delight as he flips upside down, and Dib grabs hold of Tak's PAK.

Feeling her spine pull sharply and uncomfortably, Tak screams and in her shock releases the smaller Irken beneath her. She fights Dib viciously, swiping at his face, biting him, calling him horrible names in both his language and hers, but the boy doesn't let go for anything.

Finally, though it's seemed to take forever, the trio reaches Skoodge. Dropping the female at just the right moment so that she falls into the squat invader's grasp, he wraps his surprisingly strong arms around her PAK.

"Unhand me, you filthy traitor!" she commands, struggling in his grip as much as she dares. "You're jeopardizing my mission!"

"What _mission_, Miss Tak?" Skoodge echoes, in a more forceful voice than she's ever heard from him. "You came here for two things: to take over Zim's mission and for revenge. The first one he's already been taken care of, and the second…" He sighs, voice lowering. "Isn't this enough?"

He looks out as Zim's faithful servant embraces him tightly and the twelve-year-old checks over his injuries. Curious as to what might have him so mesmerized, Tak pauses in her struggling and follows his line of sight. She is astonished when her zarnl blarg starts palpitating.

"Do you understand now?" Skoodge asks. "From the healing rate of the human smeet's injuries and how long ago the SIR unit's repairs were made, I'd say they've been struggling to survive on this planet for a while. They're going to _die_ if we leave them here, and no matter how much you want revenge, I don't think you want two innocents to die in the process." She starts and whips her head around to stare at him with wide eyes, but his face remains stern. "You know that's how this would end, right? They're _loyal _to him, Miss Tak, even if no one else in the universe is." His eyes travel to them again, and one corner of his lips turns up to form a half-smile. "They _love _him."

The female invader-aspirer looks down at herself in deep thought—her injuries aren't that bad, only requiring a few seconds more to heal; she'd inflicted far worse on the Defective.

She doesn't want innocent blood on her hands. All she wants is for the little wretch to _pay_! But as she looks up at Zim again, sees him ignoring his own condition in favor of comforting the hysterical GIR and wiping the tears from the Earthling's cheeks, she realizes that there is no going on from here.

For the last fifty years, she's dreamt of tracking down and destroying the one who ruined her life. But now that she sees him, sees the angel-incarnate that he is, she finds her steel resolve melting at its core.

Hanging her head with a great, trembling sigh, she is unashamed as crystal tears leak from her dark-amethyst eyes.

"I see now," she whispers. "I understand."

Behind her, Skoodge smiles. "I knew you would, Miss Tak. I'm proud of you."

He reaches out to steady her as he releases her PAK, and she turns to him. "Thank you, Skoodge, for…for making me see reason. If I'd kept going…" She shakes her head to rid it of such disturbing thoughts before taking the shorter invader's hand. A nervous expression on her face, her gaze sticks on the happy trio. "Will you…help me? With…with them?"

Skoodge grins, rubbing soothing circles on the back of her hand. "Of course."

Keeping her hand in his grasp, the tubby invader walks with her toward the three friends. Tak cannot deny her hurt feelings when the human smeet and the SIR unit step up to hide Zim from her sight. But then, she has no right to blame them.

She falters for a moment, her curled antennae drooping, but then regains her voice. "I—I'm sorry…for everything. I-I let my thirst for revenge get the best of me, and—" the tears begin their descent again, and the lump in her throat swells, "—I-I'm so sorry. I-I don't deserve your forgiveness, but—"

She is cut off when Zim raises a palm and with an outstretched hand wordlessly asks to be helped to his feet. Shaking his head when GIR, Dib, and Skoodge try to do the deed, he locks eyes with Tak and stares at her intently. She gulps, but steps forward and aids the Irken she attacked nonetheless.

Dusting himself off, magenta eyes meet purple. The deep frown on Zim's face fades within moments, the sincerity in her earlier words and the goodness in her zarnl blarg shining through now that her anger has been spent hitting him full force. He smiles widely, laying both of his hands on her shoulders.

"I believe you, Tak, and I accept your apology," he votes in quiet confidence. Further tears fall in her relief, though he reaches up to wipe them away with a gentle grin. "You are forgiven."

Leaping forward, Tak buries her face in Zim's chest, clutching at his uniform. Hugging him tightly, she sobs into his chest, and the Irken male wraps his arms around her. Rubbing her back comfortingly, he grins and holds her tighter.

When she's finally calmed down a number of minutes later she steps back, wipes her eyes, and gives him a small, thankful smile. "Thank you, Zim," she says. "Sorry about all of that. Everything just…caught up with me, I suppose."

Zim shakes his head, a warm beam on his face. "Think nothing of it, Tak." Turning to his friends, he introduces, "This is my SIR unit, GIR."

"_Hi_! You hungry for some _tacos_? Or _waffles_? Or _taquitos_? Or—?" Dib covers the A.I.'s mouth.

"I got this, Zim," Dib says, jabbing a thumb toward himself.

Zim grins at him. "And this is my closest friend of the living kind, the human Dib."

Stepping forward, he smiles and extends a hand to Tak, who luckily knows what to do with it. He rubs the back of his neck sheepishly. "Sorry about the whole PAK thing. It was one of those heat-of-the-moment kind of things…"

Tak's own face takes on a light pink hue as she blushes. "No need to apologize. It…it was the only way to force some sense into this thick skull of mine…"

Stepping forward, Skoodge clears his throat. "Since everybody knows each other now, why don't we get going? All of us can easily fit in the Spittle Runner with the modifications I made, and I don't think you guys want to stay on this planet any longer than necessary."

The three friends exchange flabbergasted glances. Zim turns back to their apparent rescuers. "Y-you'll really take us with you?" he asks.

Tak's eyebrow and antennae quirk. "Why wouldn't we? We're all friends now, aren't we?"

"But where would we go? The Irken Empire hates me, and they…" his eyes darken for a moment, "…they'd destroy Dib on sight."

A silence settles as the group thinks on it, but suddenly Dib pipes up. "What about Mercury? It didn't seem to affect me or GIR at all when I used it to stop Zim from crushing the Earth with Mars, and your Tallest would never to come to this galaxy! It's _perfect_!"

The others brighten, and Zim grabs the twelve-year-old's hands. "Dib, you're a _genius_! An absolute genius!"

Dib blushes, scratching the back of his head nervously. "Well, you know…I try…"

"Well, what are we waiting for, then?" Skoodge asks. "Let's _go_!"

Cheering, three of the five board the ship and initiate Skoodge's expansive additions while Tak and Zim store the remaining Earth food in their PAKs. Once everyone is on board, the ship revs its rockets and shoots for the stars.

* * *

Dib watches his planet disappear far below him as GIR yells goodbye and waves to no one at his side. Zim walks up beside him after a moment, and there is a companionable silence before the child breaks it.

"Does it make you feel sad at all? Leaving Earth behind, I mean?" he questions softly, peering up at his once-enemy.

One hand on the glass-metal alloy windowpane, he produces a small, sad smile. "At first it was just a prize to me. It was not my home by birth, after all, and no one on my planet had ever heard of it until the Tallest assigned it to me." He chuckles, and the sound is almost warm. "And even now that I know everything was a lie, even with all of the planet's revolting filth and its pathetic lack of intelligence save you and your family…" he pauses, tone hushed, "…I did grow to…to care for it some, given adequate time."

Dib nods, grinning. Glancing at his friend, he studies him for a long moment before breaking out into a smile. The alien, noticing, gives him a curious look.

"You were right, you know, when you said this experience was meant to build us up instead of break us." He smirks. "You're pretty wise when you want to be, Zim."

The blushing Irken guffaws and waves away his compliment. "Yes, well…the time called for a moment of guiding insight, and I took advantage of it." His face turns suddenly serious, though, and he reaches across the way to rest his hand on the boy's. "How are you coping, by the way? With…all of this?"

Dib offers a minute smile and promptly encases Zim's hand in his own, stroking its back of with his thumb. "I'm doing pretty well…for the most part." He releases a breath he never knew he was holding, his smile widening. "And we're starting over with some new friend. What better way to push past the past?"

The older of the two beams proudly, squeezing Dib's hand. "You're growing up, my friend. I can see in your eyes the great man you'll become."

It is the twelve-year-old's turn to blush. He playfully punches Zim in the shoulder. "Right back at you…you jerk…"

* * *

They arrive on planet Mercury on October 18, 2002.

They stake out the best place to settle and put to use Skoodge's spare drill-capsule to forge quite a comfortable shelter.

Devising a nutrient schedule in which every few weeks two members take the Spittle Runner and make a supply run to a virtually unknown planet (as Zim is still wanted for writing off his banishment with Sizz-Lorr on Foodcourtia), the six friends share stories of the adventures they had on their assigned planets and off of them. Naturally, Zim and Dib's are always the best.

After a while, they think of Mercury and hear 'home.'

A while more, and they think of each other and know 'companion.'

And with but one day to add, they think of themselves as a collective whole and feel 'family.'

-Breathe anew.-

* * *

_A/N: _That's it, everyone! This fic is officially over! 11,490 words and 20 pages! _Phew_! I'm so glad and proud that this, my first-ever Invader Zim fic, has done so well! Thanks so much to all of those who have stuck with me through this!

Yes, I changed things around a bit as far as episode order and had characters come in early, but I think it all worked out well. Tak was rather nice after she beat up Zim because, in my mind, her vengeance is corrupting her and _making _her so rotten. When her revenge is exacted, all of that tension melts away into thin air. Just my theory.

And as far as Skoodge (who calls Tak 'Miss' because in the few eps we've seen him, he seems rather polite) and Tak traveling together, somehow it came into my head that following her escape from Planet Dirt she would swing by Hobo 13 in order to hone her military skills, if only to throttle Zim all the better. She meets Skoodge and becomes close to him. After her training is complete, she agrees to take him with her.

MiMi _is there_ (on the ship...and hence the 'six' at the end), but is never seen because I couldn't find a place to fit her in... But if I could have, I'd have made her forgive GIR when she sees that her mistress and Zim have made up. Also, as far as Mercury's lack of oxygen and proximity to the Sun go: those without invisible bubble helmets (like the one Zim uses in 'Planet Jackers') would borrow the others' spares, and I'm sure the gang would be smart enough to pick a spot that's just warm enough without burning them to a crisp (having to pick up and move every once in a while when the planet turns on its axis toward the Sun). XD

As for the date given at the end, the original airdate for the episode was September 28, 2002, and it took Zim six months to reach Earth from Conventia, I figured it wouldn't take them very long at all to reach Mercury from Earth.

(As per usual now, Dib's 'you jerk' at the end is meant as a playful poke. Also, I thought it'd be funny to not only throw one of his catchphrases in there, but also let the episode's last line live on. XD)

...Was anyone else getting a Skoodge/Tak vibe from this? As I writing this, I started thinking about how close they really seemed, and I really got that perhaps-crack-pairing vibe... XD Maybe it's just me, but I am really starting to like it! My new favorite IZ couple! XD Sorry, random note!

_Phew_! Hopefully that covers all the bases! If I missed anything, please tell me!

Thanks _so much _for reading, as always!


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